Which major US banks currently let consumers generate single‑use virtual card numbers in their mobile apps?

1. Which banks clearly provide consumer single‑use or per‑request virtual numbers

Capital One and Citibank are repeatedly cited as consumer issuers that generate completely new virtual card numbers each time a customer requests one — a classic single‑use or per‑request model that replaces the underlying card number for online transactions ^[1]. Doctor of Credit maintains a running list of banks offering “virtual account number” features, reflecting that some issuers still support temporary numbers tied to a consumer card account ^[8].

2. American Express and merchant‑specific virtual numbers — functional but limited

American Express provides virtual card numbers to cardholders when shopping through Google Chrome or on Android devices after adding the Amex card to a Google account; that flow yields a separate number per merchant or session rather than a generic “single‑use button” inside the AmEx mobile app ^[2]. WalletHub and other explainers distinguish AmEx’s merchant‑specific numbers from per‑request disposable numbers, so AmEx’s solution is effective for online checkout but depends on Google integration ^{[1] [2]}.

3. Chase and Wells Fargo: tokenization and wallet‑driven “virtual” numbers, not a simple in‑app disposable number

Chase and Wells Fargo have leaned into digital‑wallet and network token approaches: transactions routed through Chase/other wallet services use Visa/Mastercard tokenization to replace the real card number with a unique token, which protects account data but operates differently than issuing a one‑time single‑use number a consumer creates inside the bank’s app ^[3]. Card issuers like Chase may issue merchant‑specific numbers in some contexts, but the practical consumer experience is often “add to wallet” or use Click to Pay rather than a standalone disposable‑number generator ^{[3] [1]}.

4. U.S. Bank and other banks: single‑use exists, but often aimed at business users

U.S. Bank’s Instant Card product explicitly issues temporary, single‑use virtual cards that can be sent and pushed into Google Pay, but the product descriptions and app permissions show this is primarily for organizations and authorized provisioners, not broad retail consumer self‑service ^{[4] [5]}. Several other banks and fintechs offer virtual‑card capabilities for business expense control rather than consumer one‑off purchases ^{[4] [9]}.

5. Who doesn’t — and the broader trend away from consumer single‑use generators

Bank of America discontinued its ShopSafe consumer virtual‑card service and today emphasizes digital wallets and network solutions like Click to Pay rather than a consumer single‑use number generator ^{[6] [7]}. Industry observers note a broader shift: many issuers are de‑emphasizing the old single‑use virtual‑number model in favor of tokenization, merchant‑specific numbers, and wallet integration because those approaches better support modern checkout flows and in‑store/mobile tap payments ^{[10] [9]}.

6. Practical alternatives and the reporting caveats

For consumers who want disposable numbers regardless of issuer, third‑party services such as Privacy.com provide virtual single‑use cards that work with existing bank accounts and are explicitly built for personal single‑use and merchant‑locked numbers ^[11]. Reporting and industry lists (CNBC Select, WalletHub, Doctor of Credit) are useful but inconsistent in terminology — “virtual card,” “token,” “merchant‑specific number,” and “single‑use” are often conflated — so any definitive claim about every bank’s current in‑app button requires checking that bank’s live consumer disclosures or app UI ^{[2] [8] [1]}.